Page 53 of Rival Desires

He scanned me from my wet hair to my bare toes, his disgust evident as he spoke. “Are you going to let me in, or would you prefer your neighbors speculating about the kind of daughter you are?”

Clamping my tongue between my teeth, I moved aside and motioned for him to enter. My sluggish brain scrambled to figure out my next move, but I was still reeling from his unexpected appearance.

“I’ll just go throw some clothes on,” I said, shutting the door. “Make yourself comfortable.”

I cringed even as the words left my mouth, aware I didn’t mean them, but I knew it was what my dad expected. Caught off guard, I’d automatically reverted to old habits. I rushed to my room, praying I’d get there before he said something that required a response. I needed a moment to compose myself before finding out why he’d shown up.

I managed to wriggle into a pair of jeans and a cozy sweatshirt before scurrying back to where he was stationed. Of course, he was smack dab in the center of the room, scanning the place like a hawk, his nose crinkled in clear disapproval. I wasn’t sure if itwas my humble abode, my quirky decor, or the fact that his little girl was a single, independent woman thriving in a city far from home.

“Can I offer you a drink?” I asked, trying my best to be the hospitable daughter.

“I’m good,” he replied curtly. “I’m not here for a chit-chat.”

I sighed and crossed my arms, more for my comfort than to show any defiance – though I suspected he wouldn’t catch the difference. “I kind of figured that.”

“You need to come home,” he stated, cutting right to the chase.

Well, if he was going to skip the small talk, so could I. “I am home,” I said, gesturing around. “Right here, in this cozy little pad.”

He shot me that classic exasperated glance that instantly transported me back to my teenage years when I announced my plans to dive headfirst into a math-heavy high school curriculum instead of sticking to home-ed.

“Sacramento is home,” he emphasized as if trying to drill the words into my head. “I know you felt like you needed to distance yourself from everything that happened. But this little escapade has gone on long enough.”

I sighed, shaking my head. “Dad, I told you the last time we had this conversation that I wasn’t moving back. I needed a fresh start.”

He seemed to consider this for a moment, then relented slightly. “I understand you don’t want to return to your old job. But there are plenty of other firms in Sacramento where you could work if you really wanted to stay in the field. And if you didn’t...”

The unspoken words hung heavy in the air, and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. Even though I’d followed in his footsteps and became a successful money manager – and a damn good one at that – there was still a part of him that wished I’d chosen a different path. Working in a male-dominated field just wasn’t his vision for my life.

“I love what I do,” I replied softly, hoping he could hear the sincerity in my voice. “And Palmer Money Management is thriving. I’ve got half a dozen employees, and we’re handling some big accounts.”

I bit my tongue before blurting out that I’d recently fired an employee for getting too cozy with a potential client. Dad hadn’t heard about it yet, so why add fuel to the fire?

With a heavy sigh, Dad shoved his hands into his pockets. “You know I just want the best for you,” he began, and I could already predict the coming sermon. “But how can you even consider marriage or starting a family if you’re running your own business?” Dad asked, raising an eyebrow. “You’re the boss, for crying out loud. How are you going to take maternity leave?”

Typical Dad, I thought, amused. I tell him my business is thriving, and he’s worried about me taking maternity leave.

“I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it,” I said, rubbing my forehead. “Seriously, Dad, did you drive two hours just to ask me about my hypothetical future baby plans?”

Dad looked slightly offended. “Of course not,” he said. “You’ve barely been answering my calls or texts. How else was I supposed to check up on you?”

Guilt washed over me like a tidal wave. Sure, Dad and I didn’t always see eye-to-eye, and sometimes I wondered if he was stillpining for the son he never had. But deep down, I knew he loved me in his own quirky way. And now that Mom was gone, he was all alone.

“I really am sorry I haven’t made more time to catch up,” I said, sighing as I twisted my hair into a messy bun. “Hey, how about we order some food, and you can fill me in on what’s been happening with you lately?”

His forehead was creased in contemplation, his gaze distant, as he mentally debated pushing me for more details about my job and living situation. After a brief pause, he nodded. “Sounds good to me.”

TWENTY-NINE

Cory

No matter how this whole shebang wrapped up, I was more than ready for this ridiculous competition for Nadine’s account between our firm and Rylee’s to be done and dusted. Sure, I wanted to come out on top, but I couldn’t say I’d be jumping for joy about how Nadine had gone about things, even if we did score the account. The more time I spent on it, the more agitated I became.

I’d initially presented Nadine with a solid portfolio, and I knew Rylee had done the same. That had always been enough for our other clients. But this? A competition like some TV reality show. I mean, seriously?

There was a moment when I’d nearly picked up the phone to call the whole thing off and tell Nadine that if our usual presentations weren’t up to her standards, then she should go ahead and find someone else. But, I’d held back. Most of it was just frustration talking, and getting the account would be worth it.

Now, this meeting wouldn’t be a walk in the park. When Nadine summoned me this lovely morning, she casually mentioned that Rylee would also appear. Just the thought of Rylee being there had my heart doing backflips. We hadn’t even texted each other since I bailed on her last Friday night. I’d come this close to reaching out all weekend just to see how she was doing, but every time I started typing, I froze, unsure of what to say or if I should even bother.

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